Tuesday, September 30, 2008

What are the common lawn care problems?

By Andrew Caxton

Having a great lawn is not an easy thing to achieve. You will always have to encounter some problem or the other and there is no guaranteed approach to steer clear of them. All you can do is resort to good treatment procedures when you have problems, so that they do not recur again.

Among the many problems that most lawns have to face, brown patch is one of the most common. Some kinds of grass like St. Augustine, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bent Grass and Bermuda are most prone to the problem of the brown patch. If you are wondering what a brown patch is, it actually begins as a small spot and then spreads on the lawn either in a horseshoe or a circle like design.

Other than the brown patch, you may face a problem with the dollar spot which is also very common. It is called the dollar spot because of its resemblance to the shape of the dollar. However, some dollar spots can also begin by resembling a grapefruit. These small spots do not remain small, because they have the potential to mix with larger ones and become very wide. They are either straw colored or brown.

Another lawn care problem that you have to deal with is Rust. If the blades of your grass have an orange and rusty look to them, then it means that they are afflicted by Rust. You can verify this further by rubbing the grass on a white tissue paper. If the paper catches an orange color, it means that your grass has rusted. Rust usually thrives in situations where there is low fertility, shade, high soil compaction or morning dew.

Apart from the problems mentioned above, slime mold is another common lawn care problem. Slime mold resembles small powdery ice crystals that have covered your grass. Do not be misled by its harmless appearance, though. Slime mold consumes organic matter that has decayed in the soil. After some time it increases in thickness and prevents sunlight from penetrating into the plant cells. This causes the grass to change into a yellow color and then die.

The best weapon for proper lawn care is awareness. If you are aware of the various problems that could damage your lawn or garden, you will be armed with the correct defensive techniques to protect your lawn. Even the slightest indication of a problem will have you ready with the treatment. This will guarantee a healthy lawn that you will look upon with pride and a sense of enjoyment after your landscaping edging exercise.

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